Residents stand in a queue to register their names as a health worker (right) wearing Personal Protective Equipment suit collects a swab sample from a woman to test for the Covid-19 coronavirus, at a primary health centre in Hyderabad on Sept 4, 2020. (NOAH SEELAM / AFP)

SYDNEY / SEOUL / DUBAI / JERUSALEM - India saw a significant spike in confirmed virus cases Friday, adding another 83,341 confirmed infections to bring its tally to 3,936,747 -- including 68,472 deaths -- according to Ministry of Health data.

The South Asian nation still has one of the lowest testing rates among the worst-affected countries -- 32 tests per 1,000 people, compared to the US with 235 per 1,000 and Russia with 254 per 1,000 -- which means there is likely a much bigger epidemic than its official figures are showing.

Australia

Australia’s prime minister pressed states on Friday to reopen their borders by December and ease restrictions, as businesses and locked down households vented their frustration over deepening revenue and job losses.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country would look to bring more Australians home, raising the cap from 4,000 a week, and suggested an eventual travel bubble with New Zealand would boost tourism and help revive the economy, which has fallen into recession for the first time since 1991.

The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has surpassed 700 in Australia after an increase of 59 deaths over the past few months.

The national death toll has more than tripled since August when it was at 200.

As of Friday afternoon, there had been 26,136 confirmed cases of COIVD-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in the last 24 hours is 89, with 81 in Victoria and eight in New South Wales.

Authorities in the state of Victoria on Friday announced 59 deaths, taking the national death toll to 737 and Victoria's to 650.

Fiji

Fiji reported two more COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the caseload to 31 since March 19 when the island nation detected its first COVID-19 infection.

Fiji's Acting Permanent Secretary for the Health Ministry James Fong said the two male Fijians, one is aged 55 and the other is 22, returned to Fiji from a repatriation flight from India's New Delhi on Aug. 27. After testing positive of COVID-19, both men have been isolated in a Nadi hospital.

Iran

Iran's tally of COVID-19 infections rose to 380,746, while the death toll climbed to 21,926, up by 129 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

A total of 328,595 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 3,702 remain in intense condition, she added.

Israel

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Israel soared to 124,455 on Thursday, with 2,991 new cases, the state's Ministry of Health said.

It is the highest daily rise since the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel in late February, as the previous record was 2,926 registered on Wednesday.

The death toll in Israel rose to 985, with 16 new deaths, while the total number of patients in serious condition decreased from 423 to 417, out of 849 patients currently hospitalized, the ministry said.

The Israeli government decided to impose lockdown in 30 cities and towns starting next Monday to curb the pandemic spread, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the state's COVID-19 project manager Ronni Gamzu announced on Thursday.

These are places with high morbidity rates, declared as "red" zones under a new program, which classifies all places into four colors according to morbidity level. The lockdown measures will include night curfew, traffic restrictions, limitations on shops and other businesses, and closure of all schools and kindergartens.

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Protective services officers patrol along the St Kilda Beach foreshore in Melbourne on Sept 3, 2020 as the city battles an outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

Lebanon

Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Thursday by 588 cases to 18,963 while the death toll went up by two to 179, the Health Ministry said.

Oman

Omani Health Ministry reported 256 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total confirmed cases in the sultanate to 86,380, including 705 deaths and 81,828 recoveries. 

Mongolia

Four COVID-19 cases were reported in Mongolia in the last 24 hours, bringing the national count to 310 cases, the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Friday.

"A total of 537 tests for COVID-19 were conducted across the country yesterday and four of them were positive," Amarjargal Ambaselmaa, head of the NCCD's Surveillance Department, said at a daily press conference.

The latest four cases are Mongolian women aged 57-84 who returned home on a chartered flight from the United States on Wednesday, said Ambaselmaa.

Myanmar

A patient who recently tested positive for COVID-19 died in Myanmar on Thursday night, bringing the death toll in the country to seven, said a release from the Health and Sports Ministry Friday.

A 46-year-old woman with underlying Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease from Thanlyin township of Yangon region was confirmed to be infected by COVID-19 on Thursday morning and died of end-stage renal disease and heart failure in the evening, the release said.

It was the first death reported since Myanmar lastly reported a COVID-19 death on April 29.

Nepal

Police in Nepal used tear gas and water cannon on Thursday to break up a religious rally that defied a government ban on public gatherings imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the ban, about 2,000 residents poured into a major thoroughfare of Lalitpur, near Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, to pull a chariot of the rain god, Rato Machhindranath, a ritual that has been celebrated for countless generations.

Authorities imposed temporary curbs in Kathmandu and surrounding areas in August to help contain coronavirus contagion and asked residents to observe festivals at home.

New Zealand

The Ministry of Health announced one more COVID-19 related death in Auckland on Friday, bringing the number of deaths in New Zealand to 23.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zeland will retain its current social distancing requirements until at least mid-month in order to make sure that the coronavirus outbreak in Auckland, its largest city, is halted.

Authorities will next review COVID-19 alert level settings on Sept 14 and won’t change them before midnight on Sept 16, she said. While Auckland has exited a level-3 lockdown, new cases among close contacts are still reported daily.

Palestine

Palestine announced 596 new COVID-19 cases in the Palestinian territories, raising the total number of infections to 31,929, including 189 fatalities and 21,670 recoveries.

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Qatar

In Qatar, the health ministry announced 214 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 119,420.

Meanwhile, 202 more people recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 116,313, while the fatalities increased by two to 201, according to a ministry statement.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia on Thursday announced 833 new coronavirus cases and 26 more deaths, taking the tally of infections to 318,319 and the total fatalities to 3,982.

The Saudi Health Ministry also reported 1,454 new recoveries from the disease, increasing the total recoveries in the kingdom to 293,964. The country currently has 20,373 active COVID-19 cases, of which 1,495 are in critical condition.

Singapore

The city-state reportedly found two more virus clusters in previously cleared worker dormitories -- a day after three other dorms previously cleared were found to have clusters.

The city-state had 48 new cases on Thursday, with 41 of those in dorms, according to the Ministry of Health. Dorm housing for low-paid foreign workers has made up the majority of the country’s cases.

South Korea

Authorities are extending stricter social distancing restrictions in the Seoul area by a week to Sept. 13, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said. The country will also extend nationwide level 2 social distancing steps by two weeks. Online school classes will be extended to Sept. 20 -- from Sept. 11.

Earlier Friday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun cautioned against hurrying to relax the restrictions and possibly see another resurgence of the virus.

South Korea’s peak medical association on Friday called for an end to a doctors strike which has complicated efforts to curb a new wave of coronavirus infections after the government backed down on plans to reform the sector.

Trainee medics however rejected the deal and vowed to continue the walkout which began on Aug 21 involving about 16,000 intern and resident doctors.

The trainee doctors oppose the reforms, which include increasing the number of doctors, building public medical schools, allowing state insurance to cover more oriental medicine, and expanding telemedicine.

The country added 198 more coronavirus cases in 24 hours, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, remaining below 200 for a second straight day.

The country -- which has battled a resurgence of COVID-19 after early success containing the disease -- now has 20,842 total cases.

Thailand

The Southeast Asian nation announced four new infections on Friday, including a local case that was reported by the Department of Disease Control the previous day. Thailand’s total virus cases stand at 3,431.

Thailand on Thursday detected its first locally transmitted coronavirus case since May, ending a 100-day streak without community transmission.

The Philippines

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 232,072 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,714 new daily cases on Friday.

The DOH said the number of recoveries rose to 160,549 after it reported 1,088 more patients have survived the disease.

The DOH added that 49 more patients have died from the viral disease, bringing the death toll to 3,737.

The UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported 614 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 72,154.

At the same time, 639 more patients recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 62,668, the UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said, adding the death toll remained at 387.

Turkey

Turkey extended a layoff ban imposed amid the pandemic until mid-November, according to presidential decree. The ban was first introduced in April, and extended in June. The country’s parliament has given President Recep Tayyip Erdogan authority to extend the ban until June of next year.

Turkey confirmed 1,642 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the first time the single-day increase has exceeded 1,600 since May, raising the total number to 274,943, according to the Turkish health ministry.

Yemen

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Yemen's government-controlled provinces increased to 1,979 on Thursday, after three new cases were confirmed.

The Yemeni Health Ministry said in a brief press statement that during the past 24 hours, the number of recoveries in the government-controlled areas increased to 1,180.

Also, the government announced that the death toll from the deadly respiratory disease climbed to 571 in different areas under its control, including the southern port city of Aden.

Malaysia 

Malaysia reported 11 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the national total to 9,385, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement that seven of the new cases are imported and four more are local transmissions.

Health authorities have also identified another infection cluster traced to an immigration detention center in Selangor state, with three testing positive so far.

Another nine patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total cured and discharged to 9,092, or 96.9 percent, of all cases.

Of the remaining 165 active cases, four are being held in intensive care and three of those are in need of assisted breathing.

No new deaths have been reported with the total deaths at 128.  

Kuwait 

Kuwait on Friday reported 865 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, raising the tally of infections to 88,243 and the death toll to 537, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Currently, 8,289 patients are receiving treatment, including 94 in ICU, according to the statement.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 626 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 79,417.

On Aug 30, the Kuwaiti government lifted a nationwide partial curfew, while activities, including celebrations, parties, weddings, gatherings, banquets and funerals, will remain restricted to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

On Aug 18, Kuwait moved into the fourth phase of its five-phase plan to return to normal life, during which, salons, gyms, barbershops, and spas reopened and restaurants can offer more services

Vietnam 

Vietnam reported three new cases of COVID-19 infection on Friday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 1,049 with 35 deaths so far, according to the Ministry of Health.

The three cases, who are Vietnamese citizens aged 8 to 43, have recently entered from abroad and were quarantined upon arrival, said the ministry.

Meanwhile, as many as 31 more COVID-19 patients have been given all-clear, raising the total cured cases in the country to 786 as of Friday, the ministry said.

The ministry added that nearly 62,000 people are being quarantined and monitored in the country.  Enditem

Iraq

The Iraqi Health Ministry on Friday reported 5,036 new COVID-19 cases, the highest since the outbreak of the disease, raising the total number in the country to 252,075.

The new cases included 1,941 in the capital Baghdad, 366 in Wasit, 349 in Basra, 315 in Nineveh, 273 in Duhok, 245 in Dhi Qar, and 243 in Karbala, the ministry said in a statement.

It also reported 84 deaths during the day, raising the death toll to 7,359, while 3,611 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 191,368.

The new cases were recorded after 23,802 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 1,694,285 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement.

Indonesia 

Indonesia has advised its citizens to postpone non-urgent travel abroad as the number of the COVID-19 infections is soaring in several countries as of late.

The move comes as Indonesia has been on alert over the hike in COVID-19 cases in some of the European Union (EU) member countries and some Asian countries.

"We urge the Indonesian citizens not to travel abroad except that they have urgent purposes," Director for the protection of Citizens and Legal Entities Overseas of the Foreign Ministry Judha Nugraha said on Friday.

On Friday, the Health Ministry reported 3,269 confirmed cases, bringing the total in the country to 187,537 with 134, 181 people recovered and 7,832 dead.